Energetic (e.g., explosive) materials that have reduced sensitivity and increased performance for use in melt-pour energetic compositions are being investigated. One such energetic material is DEMN eutectic, a quaternary eutectic composition of diethylentriamine trinitrate (DETN), ethylenediamine dinitrate (EDDN), methylnitroguanidine (MeNQ), and nitroguanidine (NQ).
In a conventional process of forming DEMN eutectic, the DETN and the EDDN are separately produced by forming distinct aqueous solutions of diethylenetriamine (DETA) (i.e., to produce DETN) and ethylenediamine (EDA) (i.e., to produce EDDN), cooling each of the aqueous solutions below 10° C., slowly adding aqueous 70% nitric acid (NHO3) to each of the aqueous solutions while maintaining a reaction temperature at or below 25° C., adding ethanol to the resulting reaction mixtures to precipitate the DETN and the EDDN, cooling and filtering the resulting slurries to form cakes of the DETN and the EDDN, and washing the cakes of the DETN and the EDDN with ethanol to remove residual NHO3 and water. Thereafter, predetermined ratios of the DETN and the EDDN are wetted with ethanol and combined with predetermined ratios of MeNQ and NQ, the resulting mixture is heated to a temperature of from about 95° C. to about 105° C. under agitation to remove the ethanol, and the resulting molten DEMN eutectic is utilized as desired.
Unfortunately, while the foregoing process may produce the DEMN eutectic, the process can be inefficient and cost-prohibitive. For example, the process is time and labor intensive, and contaminated waste streams (e.g., ethanol contaminated with DETN and/or EDDN) generated throughout the process (e.g., to form the DETN, to form the EDDN, and to form the DEMN) can require special processing to mitigate health, safety, and environmental concerns related thereto.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have new methods and systems for producing DEMN eutectic that are efficient, easy to employ, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly as compared to conventional methods and systems for producing DEMN eutectic. Such methods and systems may, for example, facilitate increased adoption and use of DEMN eutectic in military applications.